Alright guys..

We now about just over a month away from DGRR 2006!

As most of you know, Deals Gap / Tail of the Dragon is a part of US129 and in order to get there, you'll be driving addition 20 miles or so from the lodging.

And also most of us will be driving to this area from various part of US of A.

Few things to do before you get to DGRR 2006.

Make sure your car is in TIP TOP condition. This means, you need to be sure your car is in good working order. Make sure to check your brakes, change all fluids, no fluid is leaking, and its not over heating.

Tail of the dragon is 11 miles long, 318 turns, and some turns are very dangerous. One mistake and you could be going down a 100ft drop!! I'm not joking about this and you need to be award that this could easy happen to anyone. So, make sure your tires are in good condition and make sure you don't have any suspension damage.

Second day, we will cruise up thru skyway. Skyway is about 60-80 mile hike going from 600ft to 5000+ft elevation. Last year, we had couple of cars overheat during this cruise. Make sure your cooling system is working properly. We will make few stops along this cruise but if something happens to your car, it will be very difficult to get help. Cell phone signals are at weak and not all service providers work up there.

If you have two way radio, bring it with you!! Most of us will communicate thru 2 way radios. I will get couple of extra sets for some of the volunteers to use.

VERY IMPORTANT!!!!

Everyone attending this event should understand that NO ONE will be responsible for any accidents or mishaps. What ever happens up at DGRR 2006 is your responsibility.

Also understand that when your car is out of commission (due to accident or mechanical failure), someone would have to help you. This might cause problem for others who came to enjoy the event. SO, please double check your car and be careful up there. Tail of the Dragon is a PUBLIC road and any mis-conduct will have consequences.

 

A word to the wise - well said.

 

Belts, brakes, fluids and TIRES!!!! Like Phil said you really want to make sure your car is up for this. I'd just about say think along the lines of a 60K tune-up for this event. Even if you're not going to "push" your car to/from or at this event you'll be putting a lot of miles on it so everyone really needs to be prepared.

 

Here is the maintenance Checklist that was posted for last year's Deals Gap event.

 

I need this in a non-doc format. Anyone...

 

Recommended Maintenance Checklist
For the
Rotaries at Deals Gap Rally
1. Brakes
¨ Brake lines, hoses, and connectors, tight, no leaks or cracks,
(tighten connections or replace lines as necessary)
¨ Brake fluid, clean and clear (should be replaced every 30K miles)
¨ Brake Fluid Reservoir, should show full & no leaks
¨ Check and Replace brake pads as necessary
¨ Front, minimum thickness 2 mm, .08 in.
¨ Rear, minimum thickness 1 mm, .04 in.
¨ Check all rotors for wear and condition
¨ Front solid rotor, recommended min. thickness 20 mm or .79 in.
¨ Rear solid rotor, recommended min. thickness 8 mm or .31 in.
¨ Front vented rotor, recommended thickness same as solid rotor
¨ Rear vented rotor, recommended min. thickness, 18 mm or .71 in.

2. Tires
¨ Car has 4 tires mounted and one spare tire stored
¨ No Flat tires permitted, (yes, even if they are flat on only one side)
all tires properly inflated
¨ Tread depth, minimum 3/16” recommended and no wear bars showing
¨ All lug nuts tight and secure on all wheels

3. Clutch
¨ Clutch Pedal, in good working condition, pedal play =.02 to .12 in.
¨ Master Cylinder & Clutch Line Connections, no leaks, all connections tight
¨ Hydraulic Fluid, clean and changed within last 12 months
¨ MC Reservoir, no leaks and filled to proper level

4. Cooling System
¨ Radiator Cap, in place, tight with no leaks.
¨ Thermostat no leaks and installed
¨ Hoses and Overflow tank, no leaks and filled to maximum level
¨ Coolant, changed and system flushed within last 12 months

5. Engine
¨ Belts and Hoses, all drive belts inspected, and properly tensioned
(replace if cracked or worn)
¨ All hoses tight, not leaking or showing signs of wear
(replace if cracked, bulging or with other signs of wear and deterioration)
¨ Engine oil and Oil Filter, recently changed, less than 2K miles, oil at proper level
¨ Battery firmly secured in the engine bay

6. Windshield, windows, and wipers
¨ Wipers, at least one working speed and maintained in good working condition
¨ Glass, clean with no restrictions to good forward and rearward visibility

7. Exterior of your Rotary Wonder Car
¨ All running lights in good working order.
¨ No loose body parts that might cause problems for other cars if they fell off during drives

8. Drivers Compartment
¨ Lap belt and shoulder belt in proper working order, both worn during drives
¨ All items stored in the passenger cabin are properly secured or removed before drives

9. Audio System
¨ Radio, tuned to a Country or Bluegrass Station if reception available
¨ CD, Cassette or other music source, appropriate driving music


* all specifications, measurements, and service intervals cited in this checklist were taken from the Mazda Factory Service Manual for S5 RX7s, Section A, Scheduled Maintenance Services or from the Haynes Automotive Repair Manual, MAZDA RX-7, 1986 thru 1991, All models, publication # 61036 (1419).

 

hmmm, my list starts a little different.
1. Engine
2.
3.
4.
.
.
.

haha

 

DAMN the whole seatbelt thing is gonna screw me for the whole event!!! Damn! If only I could trust Mazda to fix it!!!

 

speaking of lists.. What is the fuel situation around there? I plan on bringing 15 gallons of 100 oct. low lead av. gas to mix just to be safe. G

 

There is a station just below Fontana and one on the Dragon.

http://www.dealsgap.com/

 

Thanks herblenny

 

a few more things in addtion to what phil said. on the gap there are VERY few places to stop along the side of the road and they could be a couple of miles apart. so double check your car before you hit the gap and if something doesnt feel right stop as soon as you can instead of waiting it out.

there are 2 gas stations and 1 general store near the gap. both gas stations carry 87 and 91 octane. the station at fontana village carries drinks,cigarettes,trinkets,and i think snacks. it closes around 5. the other gas station(at the motorcycle lodge)carries drikns,snacks,trinkets but no cigarettes and its open till a little after dark(im not sure when it closes tho). so make sure you bring everything you need for weekend.


another thing is you have to pay attention to what is going on around you. were going at the beginning of the season so it wont be that crowded but there will be bikes,lots of bikes, there. and sometimes truckers accidentaly get routed thru this road. this is very dangerous. an 18 wheeler going thru these turns wil most likely take up the whole road with the front and rear tires off on one side and the middle almost touching the rock wall on the other.
most of the oncoming traffic will alert you of things like this so pay attention.

 

Here are some pics of what skrewloose78 is talking about..

 

Roger on the crap gas.....

 

ewww, 91 octane

 

I met 2 semi trucks today on the gap in my Miata. Kinda scary when you come around a turn and there is a Peterbuilt taking up 4 lanes on a 2 lane road.

 

They have 93 also.

 

Oh, ok. Good. I was about to bring a few gallons of xylene to mix in.

 

i couldnt remember if they had 93 or not. im running N/A so i only use 87

 

Lookie what I got done today!!!

 

What is that??

 

The Megasquirt standalone that I built and need to have in the FC and tuned reasonably well before the Gap meet.

 

After checking all the above, I also bring the road warrior kit:
30 lbs of tools
fire extinguisher
portable battery/inflator, jumper cables, battery tester, tow strap
umbrella & rain poncho
1 gal coolant, 1 gal oil, 1 qt brake fluid, 1 roll duct tape
first aid kit, flashlights, & just in case there is idle time - 2 RX-7 zip-zaps..

 

my car decided to spring a oil pan leak and spew 4 quarts of oil out on the express way, but no reason i cant fix it in 9 days.

 

Holy crap that's a lot! lol I always carry the following:

Fire Extinguisher
Flashlight
Gallon of 50/50 coolant
Few quarts of oil
Very basic tool kit
Tire pressure gauge

Previous owner decided to install a sub in the spare tire well, so no spare for me. I'll be removing the stereo system soon which should remove a LOT of weight and tons of shotty wiring.